1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a smart control device and, more particularly, to a smart control device that is provided in electrical devices (or appliances). Herein, the smart control device can receive and transmit diverse information that are provided inside or outside of the corresponding electrical device, and the smart control device can also control the corresponding electrical device based upon the received and/or transmitted information.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Energy (or power) that is used to operate electrical appliances that are used in households and office equipments that are used in offices is generally provided in the order of a power generator, which is operated and managed by the Korea Electrical Power Corporation (KEPCO), a transmission line, and a distribution line.
The power supplied by KEPCO has the characteristics of a central power and not a distributed power. Such power (or energy) is provided in a radial structure, which allows electricity to be distributed from the center to its surroundings. Furthermore, instead of being consumer based, such electrical power corresponds to a supplier based one-way electrical power.
Additionally, the technology basis either corresponds to an analog basis or corresponds to an electro-mechanical basis. And, in case of a malfunction, recovery should be performed manually, and the installation should also be recovered manually.
Information on the electricity price was available with limitation only through the Korea Power Exchange, instead of being available in real-time. Furthermore, since the pricing system was actually a fixed pricing system, there was a problem in that inducements, such as incentive, could not be promoted to the consumers in accordance with the changes in the electricity price.
Recently, in order to resolve such problems and to enhance energy efficiency, thorough research on smart grids has actively been in progress. A smart grid refers to a next generation energy system and its management system, which are realized by the combination and fusion of the modernized energy technology and telecommunication technology.
As described above, the current energy network corresponds to a vertical and centered network, which is concentrated at the center and controlled by the supplier (or provider). On the other hand, the smart grid corresponds to a horizontal, cooperative, and distributive network, which is less concentrated to the supplier and which allows the consumer to interact with the supplier. In the smart grid, all electrical devices, power storage devices, and distributed energy are interconnected through a network, thereby enabling the consumer to interact with the supplier. Therefore, the smart grid may also be referred to as the “energy internet”.
Meanwhile, in order to be embodied in the position and perspective of the power consumer, such as a home or a building, instead of only receiving one-way energy, the smart grid is required to enable individual electrical devices and multiple electrical devices, which are interconnected via a network, to perform two-way communication with power supply sources in order to exchange energy information. Accordingly, the development of new devices enabling such two-way communication to be performed is also required.